Pneumatic textile card cleaners



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ATTORNEYS Dec. 20, 1960 P. sHNl-:NBRGER 2,964,804

PNEUMATIC TEXTILE. CARD CLEANERS Filed June 1o, 1957 j 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR PAUL SCHONE-NBERGER MJ a). uw

ATToRNEY.

United States Patent O 2,964,804 PNEUMATIC TEXTILE CARD CLEANERS Paul Schnenberger, Wettingen, Aargau, Switzerland, assignor to Pneumalil Corporation, Charlotte, N.C.

Filed June 10, 1957, Ser. No. 664,716 2 Claims. (Cl. 19-107) This invention relates to pneumatic cleaning equipment for textile machinery, more particularly to pneumatic cleaning equipment for textile carding machines.

As in all textile fabricating operations, it is desirable to provide means for removal of lint, y, and the like foreign matter, from textile cards. matic cleaners have been employed. However, the application of suction cleaning techniques to carding equipment requires the provision of relatively large air handling structures, engendering a variety of problems.

It has been proposed to provide a header beneath the licker-in of the card to remove the waste formed. The waste accumulating beneath the cylinder is also removed through the header, and it is found that the card clothing is thereby kept considerably cleaner. The operation of the card is thus made more eiiicient, and its life expectancy increased.

For constant waste collection, as is desirable, relatively large quantities of air must be handled, and it is thus necessary to provide relatively large fans, and relatively large ductwork. The use of relatively high air quantities presents further ditiiculties, in that the fibres in the card clothing are damaged; and a high percentage of good quality libres is lost on the card clothing of the cylinder.

Itis with the above problems in mind that the present construction has been evolved, a construction providing pneumatic means for cleaning the component parts of a textile card, said pneumatic card cleaning equipment employing relatively small air quantities.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide improved card cleaning equipment. l AA further object of this invention is to provide improved pneumatic cleaning equipment for a textile card.

-Another object of this invention is to provide a pneumatic cleaning equipment arrangement requiring relatively rsmall air quantities to attain its purpose.

Another object of this invention is to provide pneumatic textile machinery cleaning equipment with different suction pressures at various points of the equipment to correspond to the necessary suction pressure for most eicient cleaning at any given point. yA still further object of this invention is to provide improved suction cleaning equipment for application to a textile card, to improve eiciency of operation of said card. These `and other objects of the invention, which will become apparent from the following disclosure and claims, are achieved by provision of a pneumatic system arranged beneath the card. A suction chamber is provided for the lickerin, and a suction chamber is provided for the card cylinder. These chambers are connected to a header leading to a suction fan. The cross section of the connection from the header to the chambers is such that different air quantities are pulled from each chamber. Additional chambers may be provided for the other components of the card, such as the doifer.

A primary feature of the invention resides in the fact that the air quantities required for maintaining the card components in a clean state are relatively small. A variety of air chambers is provided for the different components, whereby the air quantities employed for cleaning To this end, pneul each component is most suitable for the particular component to be cleaned.

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Another feature of the invention is that the connection between the cleaning chambers and the suction headers is variable to permit adjustment of air pressure in each chamber.

The specific structural features of the invention and their mode of operation will be made most manifest and particularly pointed out, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 represents a schematic elevational cross sectional view through a card provided with the novel pneumatic cleaning equipment of this invention; and

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line II-H of Figure 1, illustrating a plan view of the suction cleaning equipment; and

Figure 3 is a schematic cross sectional elevational view similar to Figure 1, illustrating another embodiment of the suction cleaning equipment in which a perforated divider is employed as a partition wall between the doffer and cylinder chambers; and

Figure 4 illustrates how an -adjustable damper may be employed as a partition wall between the doeffer and cylinder chamber.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, like numerals in the various figures will be taken to designate like parts.

The carding equipment to which the instant inventive concept is here shown as applied, is of the Saco-Lowell type. roll 2, a licker-in 3, a carding cylinder 4, a doifer roll 5, carding liats 6, a licker-in screen 7, `and a cylinder screen 8.

The suction cleaning equipment is best seen at the lower portion of Figure 1 and in Figure 2. This suction cleaning equipment encloses the area beneath the lickerin 3, the cylinder 4, and the doifer 5. The enclosed area is bounded by side walls 9 and 10, together with front wall 11 and back wall 12. It will be observed that front and rear walls 11 and 12 respectively slant towards each other. The enclosed area beneath the card .is divided into a plurality o f chambers, one for each of the elements to be cleared, in this case, a licker-in chamber 14, a cylinder chamber 15, and a doffer roll chamber 27, which will be hereafter more fully described. Partition wall 13 extends downwardly from beneath the card between licker-in 3 and cylinder 4 to divide the enclosed `area into licker-inlchamber 14 and cylinder chamber 15. Adjustable bale 16 is mounted at the lower end of partition 13 for va purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. Front wall 12 inclines downwardly as noted, and functions as a lower wall for chamber 14. Similarly, cylinder chamber 15 is provided with an inclined bottom wall 17. At the lowermost portion of downwardly inclined Vcylinder chamber bottom wall 17, a slotted aperture 18 is provided. Wall 12 and wall 17 converge at header 19 loc-ated beneath the chambers. It will be observed from Figure 1` that the cross sectional area of the connection between the chambers and header 19 may be varied by varying the extension of front wall 12 into the header. Suction line 20 leads from header 19 to a suction source such `as a fan, or the like. A pressure line 21 is connected to the high or pressure side of the suction source and feeds to nozzle tube 22. Spaced nozzles 23 are coupled to said tube 22 to permit the elux of air therefrom.

Extending from pressre line 21 is pressure line 24 leading to nozzles 25 which are arranged adjacent bar 26 between cylinder 4 and doler 5. Nozzles 25 are positioned to direct an air stream downwardly to the chamber bottom 17.

Doier chamber 27 is located beneath doffer 5. "The bottom walls of the chamber are formed by front wall 11 and lower doifer chamber wall 28, as seen to the left in It comprises a framework 1, supporting a feed the drawings. The doler chamber walls 11 and 28 are converged towards each other at a lowermost point, where header 29 is provided. The connection between header 29 and doffer cham-ber 27 is made of a variable cross section, dependent on the amountjthat wall 11 extends downwardly into the header. Exhibit lineV 30 is connectedto header 29 leading to the intake or low pressure side of a fan.

In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, novel means are provided for maintaining the bottom walls of the chambers free of lint accumulations. The novel cleaning structures, as seen in Figures 3 and 4, are shown applied to a card of the Saco-Lowell type, as illustrated in Figure 1, and the card components are similarly numbered. An enclosure is provided beneath licker-in 3 and card cylinder 4. The enclosure is divided by a partition wall 35 into a doffer chamber 36, and a cylinder chamber 37. The walls of the chambers 36 and -37 are downwardly inclined towards each other, and convverge at a duct 39 connected to a suction system. Doffer chamber 36 has an inclined wall 40 having a conventional solenoid vibrator 41, shown schematically in the drawing. Wall 40 is mounted on the framework of the structure so as to vibrate freely under the influence of `vibrator 41. Wall 40 is provided with an orice 42 to permit by-pass air to be admitted to chamber 36. Inclined wall 45 of cylinder chamber 37 is similarly mounted to permit vibration thereof by solenoid vibrator 46. Though the particular structural components of the wall yand the particular mounting elements have not been shown, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that conventional structural elements are employed. Partition wall 35 is madeadjustable on partition wall bracket 351, so as to vary the opening between chambers 36 and 37 and header 39.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, a perforated divider 50 is swingably mounted as a wall -of chamber 37 between cylinder 4 and doifer 5.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, an adjustable damper 60 is provided as part of cylinder chamber 37.

In both embodiments illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, a doffer chamber 65 is shown. In practice, this doler chamber is found useful only when a stripper is provided for the doffer. This enclosure is maintained in communication with cylinder chamber 37 through the dampers 50 or 60, and it will be hereinafter more fully described just how the damper serves to regulate air pressures in chambers 37 and 65. A connection 70 leading from the doffer chamber is provided to the suction line of the card stripper.

Operation The novel pneumatic textile cleaning arrangement, once applied to a card, as disclosed, functions to maintain the components of the card in a relatively clean condition, serving to remove lint, y and other foreign material normally accumulating about the card, and generally having a deleterious eiect upon card operation. During card operation, the fans connected to suction lines and 21 are maintained running continuously, thus creating a negative pressure in the licker-in and cylinder chambers. The openings between these chambers and the header are ysuch that the negative pressure in the licker-in chamber is significantly greater than that in the cylinder charnber. The result is that the relatively large quantities of waste formed under the licker-in roll and its associated screen is transported through chamber 14 to header 19 and line 20. In cylinder chamber 15, where relatively little dust and waste is formed, the negative pressure is relatively smaller, but sufficient to maintain air movement down the inclined cylinder chamber bottom wall 17. If nozzles 23 and 25 are actuated, the air movement through the cylinder chamber will be further facilitated. Nozzle functions .to clear the area immediately beneath the cylinder screen; and nozzles 23 function to facilitate air movement along the downwardly inclined cylinder chamber bottom 17. It will be observed that nozzles 25 form an air curtain between dofer chamber 27 and cylinder chamber 15, preventing the transfer of waste between said chambers. By varying the yposition of bafe 16, the negativepressures in the cylinder chamber and the lickerin chamber may be'varied for optimum operation of the card, depending on'the type of bres being handled. Bafe 16 is movably mounted to permit manual cleaning of header 19. The bottom wall of the chambers is arranged at a distance from the card components, so that the rotation ofthe card components aids in setting up an air stream to conduct the Waste towards the header. 'The doffer chambers illustrated in Figures 1-4 are only maintained in periodic communication with a suction source. Because of the fact that only first quality fibres are collected in the doffer chamber, it is important that there be no admixture of waste from the cylinder chamber, and also that the rst quality fibres collected in the doier chamber be handled independently from the waste collected in the cylinder and 'licker-in chambers.

VIn the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, doffer chamber 65 is shown. This doler chamber is, however, only provided in the event that a card stripper is employed. Dividers or dampers 50 and 60 are shown between the cylinder chambers 37 and the doffer chambers 65. Damper 60 is a perforated member swingably mounted to permit manual cleaning of the chambers, as in the Figure 1 embodiment. Damper 60 is an adjustable member swingably mounted to permit manual chamber cleaning. The mesh of damper 50 is selected to provide a desirable division of suction pressures in the cylinder chamber 37 and doffer chamber '65.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that independent suction and blower systems may be employed for each of the chambers, without departing from the scope of this invention.

The above disclosure has been givenby way of illustration and elucidation, and not by way of limitation, and it s desired to protect all embodiments of the herein disclosed inventive concept, within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pneumatic cleaning system for cleaning cards having a cylinder and licker-in, said system comprising: a cylinder chamber positioned beneath the cylinder; a licker-in chamber beneath the licker-in; a suction connection at a lower part of each of said chambers; means permitting a different suction in each of said chambers; and a plurality of jets provided at the front of the cylinder to create an air curtain between the cylinder chamber and the ambient surroundings.

2. A pneumatic cleaning system for cleaning cards, having a cylinder, a licker-in, and a doifer roll, said system comprising: a cylinder chamber positioned beneath the cylinder; a licker-in chamber beneath the licker-in; a doiIer chamber beneath the doffer; a suction connection to each of said chambers; means permitting a different su'ction pressure in each of said chambers; and a plurality of nozzles arranged between the cylinder and the doter to create an air curtain between said doffer chamber and said cylinder chamber.

ReferencesCited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 191,395 Barker May 29, 1877 12,289,017 Jenkins et al. July 7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 910 Great Britain of 1853 21,087 Great Britain of 1908 562,74() Great Britain July 13, 1.944 V565,905 Great Britain Dec. 4, 1944 575,197 Great Britain Feb. .7, 1946 

